New Year, New You - Part 4

No matter how hard we try, we can't always control what life throws at us. What we can control is how we react. Sometimes our emotions get the best of us, other times we react from stress. Most times we react based on past experiences. Some will say, well I inherited my snap anger from my dad or my frustration comes naturally - I'm just like my grandmother. It is true that you may be more prone to these feelings as they can be passed down through the DNA, but you have the choice to act on them or not. 

When faced with a situation that causes you to react - catch yourself. Ask yourself, "Do I choose to react this way or do I choose a different way?" Catching yourself is the first step. Even if you react without catching yourself beforehand - ask yourself, "If I would be in this same situation again, how do I prefer I react?" You can start with the little things - like feeling annoyed waiting in line at the post office. This does not mean that you should swallow your anger or bury your frustration. Take a deep breath, acknowledge how you feel and then exhale out the anger/frustration/etc energy giving gratitude that it is transmuted. 


Tip: The only thing we can control in life is how we react - it just takes practice. When you are faced with something - pause for a moment, take a deep breath and exhale it out, then consciously choose the reaction that is in your highest good and the highest good of those involved.